Not My Secret to Tell
by theicemenace
Summary: Tag to "Black Panther". Everett Ross discovers a secret the Wakandan king has been keeping. What will he do with that knowledge? Rated T for language.


**A/N:** A short tag to "Black Panther" I felt should be addressed. Spoilers!

Namaste,

Sunny

 **Black Panther Tag**

 **Not My Secret to Tell**

 **Wakanda**

 _Glass integrity is at fifteen percent. Critical weapons failure_.

At the controls of the Royal Talon Flyer, Ross glared at the ceiling where he imagined the flight computer to be. "Shit! Hey, Shuri! The last cargo ship is almost at the border, but they got me trapped with some kind of cables."

The reassuring voice of the young girl echoed in his headset. " _Make an X with your arms!_ "

 _Sonic Overload initiated._

Ross crossed his arms over his chest while shouting inside his head, _Shut the **** up so I can concentrate, ya ******* computer!_

" _Now break it!_ "

Angling his arms down and away from his body with a jerk, Ross broke the cables and the ship sank like a stone.

 _System rebooting in five… four… three… two… one… System rebooted_.

Surprised and shocked that it worked, Ross shouted, "Yes! We did it!"

Shuri's voice had an element of humor at his triumphant exclamation. " _Great! Now get out of there!_ "

The hologram disappeared, dumping him on the floor in an undignified heap. At least no one was there to witness. Stunned and thrilled to still be alive, Ross didn't have to be told twice. He took off down the main hallway, barely escaping behind the force field.

Safely away from the aircraft's destroyed holographic control computer, Ross stopped to catch his breath, resting his hands on his knees and breathing deeply. "Shit. How many close calls does a guy get before he runs out of lives? I'm not a *******…" a series of flashing lights caught his eye, "…cat."

After a quick look around to be sure he was alone, Ross edged down a side hallway. It wasn't marked and the entrance was designed to blend into the surroundings. If he hadn't stopped in that exact spot, he would've missed it completely. There were sealed doors on both side with windows inset into the upper half. Beside each was a security access more sophisticated than any he'd ever seen. He looked in the first window. A woman in her early twenties dressed in white scrubs appeared to be asleep inside an inclined white tube with a clear cover. "Whoa. They've perfected cryonics. Huh. Klaue was right all along, the ******* bastard."

Curious, he moved on to the next and the next, peering into each one. Some were empty, containing just the tube and its controls. But the one that caught and held his attention was third down on the opposite side. His mouth opened in a classic jaw-drop. Feeling as if he'd stumbled into the Twilight Zone, he shook himself out of a momentary daze, swallowed hard and whispered with admiration, "Son of a _bitch_. Barnes has been here all this time. Last place we would've looked."

Suddenly concerned that he'd be caught where he didn't belong and punished for being nosy, Ross rushed out to the main hallway and returned to the more immediate problem: the coup.

 **Vienna International Centre**

Standing close so they wouldn't be overheard, Ross said to T'Challa, "It's not my place to say, but man, I _really_ don't think you should do this. What you guys have is going to scare a _lot_ of people in that room. They're going to come after you."

The king smiled in that calm, easy manner of his. "Yes, but I will no longer rule out of fear." He folded his hands together in front of him. "Shuri has informed me that you are also privy to another secret."

Ross didn't pretend to misunderstand or to play it off, aside from the usual CIA statement, said tongue-in-cheek, "Can't confirm or deny."

T'Challa waved away his comment. "It is not necessary for you to do either. However, I must ask if you intend to reveal what you've seen to Secretary Ross? If so, you must understand that doing so would be bad for everyone involved, especially Barnes. It would create an international incident, if my country were to be found to be harboring a fugitive from the Accords."

Though his words might have been taken as a threat by most, including the aforementioned Secretary of State, Ross chose to take the high ground with a nonchalant shrug. "Not my secret to tell."

The king's smile widened imperceptibly. "I'm glad we could come to an equitable agreement."

"Me too." Ross pulled up his left sleeve to check the time. "If you'll excuse me, your highness. I have a job to do."

"Of course." He stopped when T'Challa raised a hand. "Everett, before you go, Nakia and I would ask that you join us later tonight." He tilted his head to the side. "We have brought with us several bottles of a truly exquisite wine."

Intrigued, Ross momentarily put his plans on hold. "Oh?"

The light in T'Challa's eyes spoke of lazy nights by the fire and celebrations with those closest to you. "This particular wine is somewhat ceremonial, only to be gifted to and shared with our dearest friends."

Mildly stunned, Ross gave up a slight smile and inclined his head in imitation of the king. "I am honored you think of me that way, your highness. And I accept your invitation."

The two men shook hands and immediately crossed their arms, right over left. This time, T'Challa grinned. "Wakanda forever."

"Wakanda forever," Ross responded with a smile of his own. He backed up, turned and strode quickly through the crowd.

 **The End?**


End file.
